The present invention relates to automatic packaging of various articles, in particular tablets, pills, capsules and the like into blister packages.
More particularly, the present invention relates to a device for collecting exceeding products from a blister band in a blistering machine.
Pharmaceutical products are usually packaged into blister packs, formed by a plate with a plurality of blisters, which contain the products.
The plate is generally closed by a sheet of e.g. aluminium. The article is removed by breaking the sheet of aluminium. Blister packs are obtained by forming one or more rows of blisters in a continuous band, usually of plastic heat-formable material or aluminium. Then the band passes through a filling station, where one product is introduced into each blister; then the surface with the blisters openings is definitely closed by applying and welding a sheet of aluminium.
The sealed band so obtained is cut into parts containing a selected number of blisters, and consequently products, thus defining blister packs.
Known apparatuses fill the blisters of the blister band according to various techniques.
About this matter, the International Patent Application No. WO 00/07881 and the Italian Patent Application No. BO99A 000667 of the same Applicant, is to be considered.
According to this last mentioned application, the device for feeding articles to a blister band situated thereunder basically includes selecting means, which form a plurality of longitudinal channels receiving articles coming from a conventional feeding hopper situated thereabove.
The selecting means are joined to suitable oscillating means, which generate relative oscillating motion, crosswise and/or lengthwise, between the selecting means and the opposite blister band, so as to facilitate the introduction of products present in the longitudinal channels into the corresponding blisters formed in the band.
This kind of system requires excessive feeding of products; in other words, in a predetermined time interval, the hopper must feed the selecting means with an number of articles much larger than the number of blisters facing a same ideal grid in the same time interval.
Consequently, downstream of the selecting means, the exceeding articles, which are not introduced into the blisters, are usually conveyed to the feeding hopper by suitable collecting means, and then re-introduced in the process.
The collecting means usually include a deflecting brush, which is situated very close to the blister band and which makes the exceeding articles fall on a pocket conveying belt trained around a pair of pulleys and bringing the exceeding articles back into the hopper.
The installation and maintenance of a pocket conveying band is usually very expensive, in particular because it id necessary to obtain a correct tensioning between the two pulleys during operation.
Moreover, the band is usually situated on the front part of the blistering machine, beside the moving blister band, and therefore, it is not only very cumbersome but it does not allow an easy access to the machine during maintenance operations.
The object of the present invention is to propose a device for recovering exceeding articles, specially tablets, pills and the like, from a blister band in a blistering machine, which resolves the above mentioned problems, ensuring at the same time optimal collection of articles which have not entered the corresponding blisters.
Another object of the present invention is to propose a recovering device, which ensures high reliability and production rate with any operation condition, without affecting the operation of the whole equipment.
A further object of the present invention is to propose a device, which cooperates with blister bands obtained in any way, so as to make it possible the collection of any type of article with any shape or composition as well as to allow particularly rapid and easy production rate adjustments in relation to packaging cycle characteristics of the blistering machine.
A still further object of the present invention is to propose a recovery device, which is obtained by a simple, cheap, extremely functional and reliable technical solution, which ensures an easy and rapid installation and maintenance thereof.
The above mentioned objects are obtained by a device for recovering exceeding articles from a blister band in a blistering machine, with the blister band moving longitudinally through a station for feeding the articles, the device including:
displacing means, situated very close to the blister band for removing exceeding articles from the band; and
conveying means for recovering the exceeding articles removed from the blister band;
the conveying means including;
a rotating substantially hollow drum with a circumferential edge and an outer cylindrical surface;
a plurality of radial separating plates disposed along said circumferential edge to define corresponding niches for receiving said exceeding articles removed from said blister band; and
transport means cooperating with said drum for receiving said exceeding articles present in said niches and for bringing the articles back to said feeding station.